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| - Tokyo stocks closed higher on Thursday, led by gains in semiconductor-related shares, as investors await key US jobs data due this week. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.39 percent, or 111.97 points, to 29,058.11, while the broader Topix index gained 0.84 percent, or 16.37 points, to 1,958.70. "Chip-related shares were strong, while investors bought up shares which had recently faced selling pressure," said Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities. Investors also welcomed an expansion of Japan's coronavirus vaccine rollout. "If vaccinations make further progress in Japan, it will be no surprise if the Nikkei index tops the 30,000 mark again," Horiuchi told AFP. But investors refrained from trading actively, shifting their focus to US jobs data due on Friday, brokers said. The dollar fetched 109.75 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 109.55 yen in New York late Wednesday. Tech shares were among winners as chip-testing equipment maker Advantest jumped 4.15 percent to 10,270 yen with chip-testing equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron up 1.86 percent at 49,240 yen. Chipmaker Renesas, aiming to fully recover from a fire later this month, surged 8.19 percent to 1,268 yen. Toyota rose 1.68 percent to 9,790 yen on its continued strong performance, but Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing plunged 4.13 percent to 85,100 yen on a sales decline. si/sah/axn
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